EPA Plan To Drop SO2 NAAQS For Short-Term Limit Spurs Mixed Reaction

摘要

EPA's just-issued proposal to scrap its 24-hour and annual sulfur dioxide (SO2) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and replace both with a first-time, short-term standard is prompting a mixed reaction from environmentalists who welcome the new stricter limit but are urging the agency to also retain the existing standards.rnIndustry officials meanwhile say it is too early to know how EPA's Nov. 16 proposal would impact power plants and other sources that emit SO2, but at least one utility organization is cautioning that there are major uncertainties over the agency's plan, including how the new standard will work alongside other EPA air rules, and whether there are adequate data to prove significant health benefits that would justify tightening limits on SO2 emissions.